Normality is Overrated
by sibilancesisters
Summary: Just how different would life be if one miss Petunia Evans had gotten her letter to Hogwarts after all?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Normality is Overrated**  
 **Summary: Just how different would life be if one miss Petunia Evans had gotten her letter to Hogwarts after all?**  
 **A/N: So this is a little thing that came to mind earlier this morning in a dream. And I just couldn't keep myself from writing it. Also, my kind of beta tamedbanshee wouldn't let me, even if I wanted to. I'd really love it if you guys could tell me what you think!**

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Petunia Evans was proud to say that she was perfectly normal, thank you very much.

Growing up, she had everything she had ever wanted, what with the Evans family never struggling for income. She would have liked to say her family were also perfectly normal, but that would be sort of a lie. Her sister was very much not normal. Which was kind of an understatement. With her strange abilities, some might even have called her a freak.

Petunia would rather die than admit it, but with all the strangeness that lingered around her younger sister, a small knot of jealousy formed with how her parents doted on Lily. In the darkness of her room, while the rest of the Evans house was sleeping, Petunia would sometimes try and force the same sort of things that happened around Lily to happen for her, as well. Often trying to imitate her sister's abilities, she grew disappointed when nothing would ever seem to happen and she resigned herself to being perfectly normal.

It was well known that owls were nocturnal animals. So when Petunia not only saw one, but saw one in her front yard in broad daylight no less, she was rather suspicious. There was absolutely no need for the beast to be there, in their little neighbourhood of Cokeworth. What was even more surprising was the letter waiting for her on the floor once she pushed open the front door, trying to put as much space between her and the wild animal, currently taking up residence in the middle of her yard, as possible.

Seeing as it was addressed to her, she didn't see the point in waiting for the rest of family before tearing into the rather strange looking letter in her hand. Eyes skimming the thing, she hardly believed a word of the letter. Surely it was simply a mean joke, someone had found out about her wanting the same sort of abilities as Lily and decided to play a little trick on her. And on her birthday no less.

Dear Miss Evans,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment,

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

The next page had a list of strange items that she apparently needed, whoever was pulling this trick had gone into a lot of detail, she'd give them that. Scoffing silently, she threw the cruel piece of paper into the rubbish bin, determined to let no one else make jokes at her expense over something so stupid. It didn't matter to her that she wasn't special. No matter what anyone thought. She was perfectly happy being the perfectly normal one in her family.

It had served her well, after all, as the awful boy often found in her sister's company paid her no mind once discovering just how normal she was. She couldn't understand why her sister enjoyed his company as much as she obviously did. It was always Severus this and Sev showed me that. Even before she had met the dreadful person, she had grown a dislike for the boy. Though he had only insulted her once, Lily had made sure that never happened again, the sting of it lingered long after it had been said.

Other than that rather harsh trick, which she was fairly certain her sister's strange little fanboy had sent, her eleventh birthday was a perfectly normal day. What with presents, cake, and the friends she had from school and around their neighbourhood, Petunia quickly forgot about the letter she had thrown away.

* * *

Exactly eight months after her eleventh birthday, 18 July, Petunia was home whilst Lily was out with none other than Severus, when a knock at the door startled her. Tempted as she was to go down and see who it was, she was much too involved in the book she was currently reading to move from the window seat she was currently occupying.

"Petunia, darling, come down here please," her mother's voice called up the stairs.

Odd. She thought to herself. Marking her spot, she slipped off her seat and down the stairs, eyes landing on the strangely dressed short man standing in their family room. Pausing on the stairs, she tried to place his face with someone she knew, but drew a complete blank.

"Mum?" she questioned, her voice wavering slightly.

"Darling, yes, do come in here. This is a professor for a school interested in you." You could practically hear the pride coating her mother's voice as the older woman walked into the room motioning for the so-called professor to take a seat.

That certainly piqued her curiosity as she quickly moved the rest of the way down the stairs and into the sitting room. Taking a seat next to her mother, Petunia quickly turned her entire focus to the man sitting across from them.

"Well, I'm certainly glad to have caught you today, as there isn't much time until enrolment has come to a close for the year," he stated, clearing his throat briefly before smiling. "My name is Professor Flitwick and while what I'm about to tell you may seem impossible, I simply ask that you allow me to finish before making any kind of judgment."

"Of course, Mr. Flitwick," Petunia's mother hastily replied, a hand snaking over to squeeze her rather bony knee. As it seemed they were waiting for her to acknowledge that, she nodded her head in agreement to those terms.

"Excellent. I teach at a school for rather- gifted young individuals. A school that not everyone gets into, unfortunately. One must be rather special," he started, pulling a piece of paper from his strange robe. Internally she started preening under the praise he was casually throwing in her direction."That school is named Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..."

That preening immediately stopped as those words dawned on her. She had only ever heard that name once. Lip jutting out, her face set into a frown as she tuned out just what he was saying. This was by far the cruelest, well thought out joke anyone had ever played on her.

"Miss Evans, what do you think?" he asked, obviously anxious for a response.

"I think you're really mean. Did Severus Snape put you up to this? It was mean on my birthday and it's mean now," she said, pushing up from her seat on the sofa, before hastily making her exit. Stalking out of the room abruptly without any explanation to her mother.

She didn't go far, just to the other side of the wall separating the hall from the room. Leaning her weight against it, her shoulders sagged. Of course, no one would be interested in plain little Petunia Evans. It wasn't like she was Lily, after all.

"I must apologize, Mr. Flitwick. Petunia is rather- sensitive when the topic of extraordinary talents is brought up. If you were speaking of my daughter Lily- well, I might be inclined to believe you. But Petunia… well she's never displayed anything of the sort," her mother started, sounding as if she had gotten up.

"Mrs. Evans, I assure you, it is indeed Petunia we are offering a place at our school. Having two magical children, I'm sure you simply mistook some of what young Miss Evans was doing for her sister. It isn't entirely uncommon for that to happen. Accidental magic can take on many appearances. I'm sure that not even she would have been aware of what was happening."

That gave her pause, as she listened intently to what the professor was saying. If there was a chance that she was special like her sister- no. She squashed that thought almost as quickly as it popped into her head. This was nothing but a stupid joke that had gone way too far and any minute now, the man would break and tell them so. She was normal and had long since accepted that about herself.

"Has she been ill throughout her life? A common way that magic presents itself is fighting off common illnesses that mugg- non-magical people get. Quickly healing of cuts and bruises is another. The moment she was born, she was added to the list of future students at Hogwarts. I can assure you, we do not make mistakes," The professor said firmly.

"Then why couldn't I do any of the things that Lily could," her voice called out of its own accord, before she walked into the doorway. Her arms crossed firmly over her chest, a petulant look contorting her features.

"That is rather simple. One must learn to control their magic to get it to bend it one's will. That is why there are schools. To teach you how to do just that," he said, as if it were obvious. "Once you have a wand, it will be easier for you to see that. It will help you focus your magic."

Turning it over in her head, she stood for a moment, trying to decide what to believe. Her own sense of who she was had been thrown so far out the window that she wasn't sure anymore. Drawing her lip in between her teeth, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to at least hear him out. Taking a few steps into the room, she felt her mother's hand land on her shoulder and squeeze slightly.

"Could you retell me about Hogwarts then? I didn't listen to most of what you said," she admitted sheepishly, looking down at her feet.

"Of course. And if you decide that you want to attend our school, we can arrange a time for you to go into Diagon Alley to acquire your school things. Now, Hogwarts is a boarding school situated in the highlands of Scotland. Unfortunately, we aren't allowed to give the specifics of it but it's a magnificent place. You'll study there for seven years and have the chance to learn many things, such as Transfiguration, Astronomy, and Ancient Ruins to name a few.

"Each first-year student will be sorted into one of four houses, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. The houses are supposed to act as a supposed to act as a surrogate family. For following the rules, answering questions correctly, and a number of other things you will be awarded house points. If you break the rules, house points will be taken from you.

"I know it is a rather bland explanation of the school itself, but if you do decide to go, there's a book called Hogwarts: A History that can give you a very in-depth explanation of the school and many things that go on in it. Do you have any questions?"

"What do the houses mean? How is one sorted?" she quickly asked, having taken a seat on the couch in the middle of the explanation.

"Ah, excellent question. You are sorted by the traits within you into one of the four houses. Hufflepuffs are known for their loyalty. Slytherins are known for the cunning wit. Gryffindors are known for their bravery. While Ravenclaws, the house I am the head of, are known for their thirst for knowledge," he replied easily, sitting back in his chair.

Turning over this new knowledge, the excitement that this might actually be real, put a wide grin on her lips. It sounded like something she very much would like to go to. Peeking over at her mother, Petunia tried to gauge how her mother was taking the news. After all, her enrollment did depend on her parents.

Noticing she was watching her, Martha Evans gave her oldest daughter a smile. "Does that sound like something you'd like, darling? It's awfully far away from everything you know," she said in a soft voice, draping an arm across the young girl's shoulders.

"Please, mum? I want to learn. If I have magic, I need to know how to control it," she answered, her voice just as soft as her mother's.

"Your father and I want you to be happy. If this is what you want, I'm quite sure your father will have no objections to you going to this school. In fact, he should be home any minute and then we can get his blessing." She had a smile on her face, her eyes were slightly watery.

The two had completely forgotten they had company sitting before them, so completely distracted by their own quiet conversation. Feeling as if eyes were on her, she turned slightly before flushing a dark red. The Professor simply smiled and waved it off. He knew that this was a big decision for a family to make.

With blood pounding in her ears, she tuned out the conversation the two adults had struck up as the waited for Robert Evans to return home. It was hard to believe that anything that had been said today could actually be real. Petunia was still waiting for someone, namely Severus and Lily, to pop out and laugh at her expense.

The front door was opened, drawing all of their attention to the man who had come through the door.

"Robert, dear, do come in!" Her mother called out happily.

Things had started to make sense in their little world. Petunia and her mother now had an explanation to grasp onto. One that, albeit seemed impossible, fit. In her heart, Petunia knew what Professor Flitwick was speaking to be true.

"Hello, love," he greeted, as glancing at the stranger before placing a kiss on each of his girl's heads. "Who might this be? One of the new neighbours you've kidnapped for tea?"

"Robert!" Her mother admonished, though her spirit was high as she looked at him fondly. "This kind man is a Professor for a school interested in our little Petunia."

From the moment Petunia had come down the stairs, her mother had been bursting with pride at the fact that her daughter had been approached for this. It was clearly on her face just how special she thought Petunia, and Lily as well, were.

"Has he now?" Robert asked, his eyes lighting up with pleasure as he took a seat on the other side of his oldest daughter.

With a hand on Petunia's back, he was nothing but smiles as he sat there listening to Professor Flitwick re-explain the school. For the third time that day, as it was. Petunia was so excited, that she didn't notice the tightness in his muscles. To everyone but her, it was obvious that he wasn't quite so accepting of the explanation the Professor was giving.

"Mister Flitwick, you must be off your rocker. I know my girls, both of my girls," he started, emphasizing that more for Petunia's benefit than anything, "But to suggest such a thing, and better yet, get my daughter's hopes up for some delusion has crossed a line. Magic isn't real."

"Mr. Evans-" Professor Flitwick started before trailing off as the man of the house held a hand up to silence him.

"Don't. I don't want to hear another word. I think you've taken up enough of our time. Let me show you out."

It was such an abrupt reality check, that Petunia felt the wind being forced from her lungs. Of course, this was a simple childish fantasy that no one but her father had been able to see through. He was the logical one after all. Martha drew her oldest daughter into a side hug whilst shooting a cruel look at her husband.

"Now you hang on one moment, Robert Evans. This kind man has just explained a monumental thing that affects this entire family. And you will sit there and listen with respect, or so help me," Martha said, her eyes narrowed at the man as he hesitated for a minute before sitting down. While Martha knew where her husband was coming from, his concern was his daughter, and while she accepting that it gave him no right to be rude. Especially at the expense of her daughter's happiness.

"Mr. Evans, I promise you, my intent isn't to deceive or fool you, this isn't a scam, I don't benefit in any way. But what I do say is in fact, the truth. A lot of our non-magical parents need proof that there's an entire world that has existed without their knowledge for years. Some people go on faith and some don't, it's as simple as that. I'll be more than happy to give you a demonstration," the Professor said, having done this for many years and this wasn't the first skeptical parent which he'd come across.

Petunia had pulled out of her mother's arms and was currently peering up at her father, wondering how he was going to react. Motioning for the other man to continue, Robert leaned back, his eyes narrowed slightly as Professor Flitwick pulled a stick, that could really only be a wand, from his robes.

"Wingardium leviosa," he muttered with a quick swish and flick of his wand. Their coffee table started lifting steadily from its place on the floor. Every eye from the seemingly normal family widened at this open show of magic. It was simply incredible.

Everyone was silent as the wizard slowly lowered his wand and the table was set back where it belonged. Glancing over at her mother, she noticed the pure joy on her face at being shown that. It was clear to everyone that the little display of magic they had been shown had sealed the deal for her. Peeking back at her father, she couldn't say the same for him. The suspicion was on his face, plain as day. No doubt wondering how he had accomplished such a feat. Surely his wife had to be in on this joke, to have allowed for such a thing to happen within their own home.

Petunia's mind, however, was made up. While that seemed to be simple, it was far more advanced than her younger sister's little displays were, and she craved to be able to do it. So, with or without her father's permission, she would be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

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 **Chapter Word Count: 3,052**  
 **Story Word Count: 3,052**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Normality is Overrated**  
 **Summary: Just how different would life be if one miss Petunia Evans had gotten her letter to Hogwarts after all?**  
 **A/N: So this took longer than I expected to write. Don't have much of an excuse other than I was busy with work. I'd love to know what you guys think! Also wouldn't have been able to write this chapter without the help of someone very important! So thank you tamedbanshee**

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Diagon Alley was an out of world experience, _literally_.

Professor Flitwick had given firm instructions on how to get to such a place, despite the weird looks Petunia's parents gave him but when the wall opened up to the other side; all doubts were forgotten in an instant. Coming out of the wizarding bank, Gringotts, a fascinating place full of goblins and their pockets now full of exchanged money- they were free to wander up and down the multicoloured street. Throngs of people drifted between quirky shops of bright luminescent colours with eye catching banners, strange slogans and names. It made Petunia's head spin a little as she tried to take it all in, both she and Lily in awe as they spun around, trying to soak in the fact that this entire world had been under their noses this entire time rather than in the back of the wardrobe as they'd previously suspected.

Not only were the shops unique but so were the people, their clothes, their hair, the style, Petunia tried not to gawp but when a man strolled down in luxurious wine red robes and a pointed hat. She felt like it was halloween, in only the best of ways. Lily's curiosity mingling with hers as they pushed the limits, pulling away from their parents to the furthest of their reach. Nosying in windows and gazing at possible wares.

"Lily." Her mum huffed firmly.

"Petunia." Her dad murmured, equally as firm, both girls skulking away from the large mason jars filled with eyeballs and livers just outside the apothecary. Lips jutted out as their curiosity was left to fester, instead they defaulted to the list firmly secured in their mums hand. Dad wasn't to be trusted with the shopping.

"What's on the list, mummy?" Lily asked, eyes wide as she tried to stretch up on her tiptoes to see what was in fact written on the list. Petunia having a good couple of inches on her sister so she could at least glimpse at the bottom of the list, the cursive emerald writing pretty against the scroll of parchment.

To be honest, whilst Petunia was usually meticulous in her searches, she wanted to wander. She wanted to seek out every nook and cranny of the world behind the wall, to see what being a witch, as Professor Flitwick had called her, offered. So many bright colours and lovely looking items, it all made the world which she'd come from look a little dull and a little grey. How could she go back to the monotony after seeing all of this?

"Well, how about we get your books first?" Martha murmured, more to herself than to Petunia actually, trying to think of the best way to do everything so they weren't lugging around heavy bags for the entire day. Still, at the mention of _**books**_ it made Petunia light up. Her bookshelves were heaving at the moment, weighted with Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters, but she'd make room for all kinds of wizarding books she could lay her hands on. The thirst to know everything was there, in the back of her throat, wanting to consume as much knowledge as she possibly could.

Her parents laughed as she spun around, trying to catch sight of the closest bookshop which they could find. Flourish and Blotts looking relatively busy but Petunia managed to slide through the thin gaps between other shoppers. Lily following obediently behind her, eyes wide as the sight of so many books, holding onto the back of Petunia's dress tightly as not to get lost; their parents eyes darting around worriedly as they lost sight of their two daughters in the cluttered bookshop.

"Look Lil," Petunia crooned, pulling out a leather bound book full of star maps and constellation names, flicking through pages excitedly as they poured through the astronomy section with a gusto. "So many pretty names-" smiling as Lily pointed to one on the opposite page "- that one's Aquila, the eagle-" her own finger skittering across the stars, connecting them in their imagination. Lily's hand automatically going to the next bright star she could see on the page- "and that's Canis Major."

"I want a pretty name like the stars," Lily huffed for a second, cheeks puffed out as she sighed. Grimacing when Petunia flicked her sister's nose teasingly, shutting the book and sliding it back into the crevice in which they'd taken it form.

"Lilies are very pretty." Petunia contradicted her sister, rolling her eyes. At least she wasn't stuck with a name like _Petunia_ , because really, was _Tuney_ the best nickname she could get out of it? Lily rolled her eyes but didn't argue any further, instead moved along, going past the astronomy section and started eying the thick textbooks on the end table.

One moment of clumsiness though, Lily's shoulder accidentally knocking against a stand and a few books were sent tumbling to the ground. Both Evan's sisters scrambling to pick them up, Lily's pale skin flushing it's usually bright red as it did whenever she got embarassed. It was then which a third set of hands joined them, picking up the books and holding them out.

"You okay?" Petunia glanced up, friendly blue eyes glancing worriedly between a flushing Lily and herself.

"Yeah, thank you," Petunia murmured for the two of them, Lily shying away behind her sister ever so slightly. No doubt she'd grow out of it in a couple of years time but she was a little wary of new people. "Bit of a clumsy moment."

"Tell me about it, personally, I think tripping up on air is a talent," The girl scoffed playfully as she turned the book over in her hand. "Textbook, huh? You doing your Hogwarts shopping too?"

"Mhm, thought we might as well get it over as soon as possible," Petunia chimed with a nice smile, placing the books back on the stand in which Lily had knocked them off of. "Petunia Evans." She introduced herself, holding her _now_ free hand out for the girl to shake like her parents did whenever they introduced themselves. It made people take you more seriously, or at least, that's what her dad had told her.

"Marlene Mckinnon, call me Marly," _Marlene_ reciprocated the introduction, shaking her hand enthusiastically with a toothy grin, her righteous blonde curls coming undone from her sloppy pigtails. Turning, she smiled at Lily- "What about you?"

"Lily." She said quietly but still smiled nonetheless, Marlene's bubbly attitude and infectious smile hard to shy away from it seemed when you had her full attention.

"Nice to meet you guys." Once more she was all smiles as she rocked back on her heels to stand up.

"So, are you going to Hogwarts this year, too, then?" Petunia asked, receiving a nod as she moved to stand up as well. "That's great. It'll be nice to know _someone_ before arriving since Lily isn't going to be going this year." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lily shoot her a sour look at the _almost_ purposeful dig that she'd made.

"Yeah-huh, first year too," Marlene nodded enthusiastically, _really it was like her hair had a mind of its own_. She looked ready to bounce in one spot actually, how much energy could be contained in such a tiny body? "My mum's betting that I'll be a Gryffindor but my dad and my brothers all know I'm gonna be a Ravenclaw."

"Ravenclaw does sound the best," Petunia admitted, rolling her shoulders, because it was true. The idea of a house which knowledge and intelligence was one of their defining traits was very appealing to her- not to mention Professor Flitwick had been so nice about everything. It was bound to make an impression. "It's either Ravenclaw or Slytherin." She admitted without fear.

"Fingers crossed for Ravenclaw, I mean, I know a few other kids but-" Rolling her eyes as she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at someone indistinct in the background. "They're pretty boring actually, known them since I was a baby. I like meeting new people and, it's be nice if we both go in the same house." She chirped, like, seriously, was this girl caffeinated or something?

"Oh, Ravenclaw? A Professor from that house paid my family a visit a few days ago. I mean, he was probably making his own house sound better than the rest but, it definitely seems like one that I want to be in," Petunia announced, becoming rather animated herself, "It'd be nice to know someone there."

A cough behind them broke the girls out of their little bubble causing Lily to squeal a quick "Mum!" before sprinting from by her sister. Petunia's head tilted back to look at her father, a steady smile on her lips. With each passing moment, the girl was becoming more confident with her decision to embrace this new world that she found herself in.

"Oh, Marly, these are my parents! Daddy, Mum, this is Marly. She'll be going to hogwarts too!"

Martha stepped forward, gripping Lily's hand, a warm smile on her lips as she greeted her daughter's newest friend. Robert, with his tight lipped smile and skepticism even greeted her kindly, though his eyes glanced around the bookshop.

"While it's lovely that you've already seemed to make a friend, you shouldn't have run off without us. This is a rather unknown world for us, Pumpkin," Robert chastised, a twinkle in his eye as Petunia groaned in protest over the nickname.

A snickering Marlene nudged her in the stomach with her elbow. "Your dad's probably right. Anything can happen, _Pumpkin_."

Turning a glare onto the exuberant blonde, Petunia rolled her eyes. "We aren't close enough for _that_ ," she mumbled good naturedly.

"Sorry." Marly at least had the decency to look sheepish even if she did carry on grinning despite the admonishment. "But I better go find my mum as well. She's probably rounding up my brothers."

The blonde waved enthusiastically before quickly disappearing into the crowd scattered throughout the little shop, leaving Petunia alone with her parents and sister. The family made quick work gathering the strange books that were required for her new curriculum. Even picking up the latest edition of _Hogwarts: A History_ , at the insistence of the excited little student. She wanted to know everything imaginable about where she would be staying for the majority of the next several years.

With the books in hand, they rushed around the shops picking up the other necessities. Wand, check. (10¾" Ash with a Unicorn Tail hair for the core) Cauldron and supplies, check. Trunk, check. Robes, check. As they were leaving Madam Malkin's that Petunia spotted a little kitten in the window of a shop across the street. It was easily recognized to be related to be at least related to a siamese cat, though Petunia couldn't be sure. Perhaps the Wizarding world had their own breeds of animals.

Squealing, she dragged Lily by the hand to press their faces against the window and look at all the different kinds of animals that were within. Though her pale green eyes didn't stray too far from the little kitten that had drawn her in the first place. Turning the best pouty face she could muster towards her parents, her finger pointed at the little kitten within.

" _Please_ ," she whined slightly, recalling from thee letter that they were allowed to bring either a Cat, Owl, or Toad, "I promise I'll take care of her!"

A laugh escaped her mother's lips as she bent down slightly to look at the almost all off-white kitten in the window. With Blue eyes and a light brown face, it stared back at the family before it began to rub itself against the glass- trying to get as close as it could to it's new possible owner. "It's a big responsibility to care for an animal. Are you _sure_ that's the one you want, sweetheart?"

Knowing that was her mother's way of saying yes, a wide smile spread across her lips, "I can do it!" Petunia exclaimed. "I want _that_ one. Please mum? _Please oh please oh pleeeeeease, pretty please?_ "

Before the word _yes_ was even out of her mother's lips, Petunia had already gave a yelp of triumph and scurried into the little shop to claim her pet.

Robert sighed as he watched his eldest dart off into the shop, looking happier than he'd seen her in a long time. But still, his baby girl, his first daughter was heading off into the big bad world without him or her mum to hold her hand. It was something unsettling, it was a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach as he watched her flit around in this _magical_ land which he was still partially convinced was a hallucination of some sort.

"Lily-pop," Robert called out to his youngest, watching her head tilt back to stare up at her dad. She was only a year behind Petunia, no longer a baby either but he couldn't help but cling onto the hope that his girls would need him. "Promise me you won't grow up, huh, sweetheart?"

Lily stared at him for a second- "For now." She promised ominously, lancing away and missing Roberts slightly terrified stare.

They took after Martha _way_ too much.

* * *

Petunia could tell that Lily was at her wits end with her.

The morning hasn't started out the way she had wanted, deciding at the very last minute to unpack and then repack her trunk. Just incase she had forgotten anything the last _hundred_ times she had packed it. It had almost made them leave later than they had intended. What had actually made them leave their town of Cokeworth was the fact that Petunia had forgotten the book she had been obsessed with for the past week and a half, _Hogwarts: A History_.

The four hour car ride from their house to the train station was practically _torture_ for the excited Evans. Lily absolutely refused to tolerate her incessant talking about how _wonderful_ it sounded. Which was understandable. _She_ would be jealous too if she had to go with Lily to leave for Hogwarts.

But it wasn't her fault she was this excited. It was like Christmas all over again, but, it was September, and it was school and it wasn't like Christmas at all really. In fact, she couldn't even sleep last night, the anticipation that was always present when Christmas came around making her much too excited to possibly even try.

The bickering was put to a stop when their father swiveled around and threatened to turn around so that they wouldn't be even _going_ to Hogwarts, leaving them in deathly hush. Petunia was vibrating in her seat, the closer they got, the more excited she seemed to grow. Finally, it seemed like God took mercy on her poor soul as they arrived at the station.

Practically flying out of the car, once they were safely parked of course, Petunia tapped on the trunk of it excitedly.

"Come _oooon_ ," she whined as her family seemed to move even slower than they usually did. Lily was in a rather petulant mood, taking pleasure in teasing her sister, knowing that the longer it took, the more anxious she would be. Marching over, Petunia grabbed Lily's arm and tugged on it firmly, making her hurry along as her father pulled her trunk out and put it on a nearby trolley. Martha placed her kitten's carrier on top as Robert pushed it along after the two girls.

The train station was bustling with people, each hurrying to where they needed to be. Remembering the Professor's instructions on how to get to the secret platform, she kept hold of her little sister as her eyes searched for 9 and 10.

Glancing at a clock they passed by, she kicked it into overdrive, practically running to find the entrance. In her haste, she hardly noticed the two families standing by a wall, until a voice called out her name.

Marlene was waving her hand frantically, it looked like it might break off if she waved any harder, a wide grin on her face once the two Evans stopped. Slightly out of breath, their parents were quick to stop behind them, exchanging looks between themselves. Professor Flitwick's instructions had been very clear. This was as far as they would be able to take their daughter.

"Come on! We got to go," A boy she hadn't met said impatiently, huffing and stomping his foot before disappearing into the wall. Petunia's eyes following his every movement, Lily's jaw dropping.

"We better go. My parents will _Avada_ me if I don't get on the train with Amos," Marly said, with a roll of her bright blue eyes. Turning towards the wall, she took a few steps with her trolley before glancing over her shoulder. "Hurry up with the goodbyes, _Pumpkin_. We need to steal a good spot."

Spinning on her heels, Petunia threw her arms around her mother before the older woman started crying. Feeling rather embarrassed by the multitude of kisses that was getting pressed to her face, she pulled away and looked up at her father.

"I'mma miss you guys," she mumbled as Robert swept her into a big hug. Even his eyes were a little wet at the thought that his little girl was growing up.

The last one left was Lily, who pouted and stomped her foot that _she_ should be allowed to go too. They did almost everything together.

"Just think of it this way, I'll get to go and learn everything so I can teach you this summer! "That seemed to bring a slight smile to the youngest Evan's face, though she still wasn't happy to be left behind. It didn't stop her from throwing her arms around her big sister, realizing she was going to miss her while she was gone. Who else would she scream at in Petunia's absence?

Giving her family one last look, Petunia's pale green eyes looked towards Marlene with a nod. The blonde quickly disappeared into the wall, with Petunia quick to follow. It was hard to describe the sensation but the image of the scarlet train suddenly appearing before her was a memory she'd hold onto forever. The Hogwarts Express written in golden letters on the side as other students ran around, getting ready to leave.

Following Marlene was easy enough, Petunia reckoned she was _really_ lucky that she'd met someone to show her the way through this confusing world. The duo quickly reuniting with the boy from before, Amos, Marlene had called him. Exploiting his height and the three year age gap between them so he'd put away their trunks for them.

She only kept a few items on her person, her wand, the robes she'd change into and of course, her kitten, who she'd named Violet. With that she was ready, boarding the train and the three started hunting for a semi-empty compartment to find a seat.

As soon as they came across one semi-empty enough, Amos swivelled on the balls of his heels, a finger pointed threateningly at an almost angelic looking Marlene. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to _my_ mates. _Try_ not to get into any trouble," He started out threateningly but in the end it sounded more like a plea, eyes narrowing as they landed on Marly.

Snickering, a sweet smile appeared on the tiny blonde's face as she batted her eyes at the older boy. "Really Amos? Does this look like the face of someone who'd get into trouble?"

"Yes?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he turned around, waving over his shoulder as he headed off to hunt down his own friends lest he be stuck babysitting first years. As he left the two behind, they oppened the door to the near empty compartment, only a boy in there already.

"Mind if we sit here?" Marly asked, though they'd already taken their seats. Quick to make herself comfortable, the blonde seemed more docile today than she had in Flourish and Blotts. Maybe she hadn't been allowed any caffeine or chocolate yet? Petunia mused to herself as she settled down herself. Violet purring from the safety of her arms, rubbing her head affectionately against Marlene.

The boy sharing the car with them regarded them from behind his book, he didn't say anything for the longest of times. "Sure," he finally said, flushing ever so slightly before ducking his head and going back to his reading.

"Excellent. I'm Marlene, you can call me Marly. And this in my friend Petunia," she said, giving a toothy grin, not taking the hint that he _clearly_ didn't want to be bothered. "And who are you?"

"Er- Longbottom. I mean Frank," he said, his face flushing a deeper red at his tiny slip up, slightly embarrassed. He seemed to be using his book as a shield almost, ducking behind it once again to try and once more to go back to his reading. There was no stopping Marlene though.

"Long-" Marly started, only to be elbowed by Petunia. And they were boney elbows, Lily compared them to kitchen knives once. They were one of her best weapons. At least, before she knew about magic.

"Knock it off, Marls. It's a long train ride, You don't have to make him talk," she whispered, and though she was _trying_ to be quiet, the thankful look that Frank sent her way made it obvious he heard her.

"She is simply the _cutest_ , little thing!" Marlene cooed as she turned her attention away from poor Frank to Violet who had seemed to take a liking to the perky blonde. Marly reached out to pet the kitten, obviously already smitten with the poor thing. While it had been slightly hectic, Petunia was fairly certain Marly had an owl with her on the trolley. "I mean, not as cute as Beaky but-"

"Beaky?" Petunia asked, nose wrinkling.

"Yeah, he's my owl." Marlene continued as if Petunia's distaste for the stupid name of her bird wasn't even there. "I mean, he's a bit old and my brothers tried to use him as a quaffle a few years ago but, he's a good owl. Gets a bit mixed up sometimes and likes to eat mash potatoes-" she sort of started to babble and if Petunia was honest, she just began to nod and smile like they did with some of the old ladies from her mums church group. It seemed to work well with them and it worked just as well now.

So whilst her new friend went on and on about her bird, who by the sound of it, had suffered _a lot_ when it came to her brothers ( "There was one time Beaky almost got hit by one of them- fireyworks? My brothers nicked a few from his mates and set them off" ). Petunia turned to look out the window, Violet's warm weight on her lap as well as the buzz of her purr soothing her frazzled nerves. In some way, she wanted nothing more than to have Lily right beside her and in others, she was glad she wasn't there.

It was her first adventure without her sister, new places and new faces.

Petunia couldn't wait.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count: 3,903**  
 **Story Word Count: 6,955**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Normality is Overrated**  
 **Summary: Just how different would life be if one miss Petunia Evans had gotten her letter to Hogwarts after all?**

 **A/N: Wow, okay so let me just start this by apologizing for taking so long to update. I don't really have a good excuse, try as I might to think of one. I will say that my lovely _friend_ has been bugging me for ages about actually updating this thing. It definitely has not been forgotten about. I know this is a short chapter, sadly, but I do have the next one started up already and hope to post it this weekend as long as my friend can get to editing it this weekend. I did go back to chapter two and change Amos' age from twelve to fourteen. It makes more sense for what I have planned in the future! Well, until the next time I update, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

A shaky breath pushed fell from her lips and a hand, that was no doubt Marlene's, patted her lightly on the back. Well, pushed is more like. She shuffled forward, the weight of everyone's eyes resting heavily upon her as she sat on the stool like everyone before her had done and she couldn't help but cringe as the grimy hat that was placed on her head.

Who knew how many heads this hat had been on?

"Hm," a soft hum echoed, rattling around in her mind as the hat twisted and turned upon the crown of her head. It was almost restful, sounding deep in thought as it croaked. "Interesting. _Very interesting_." Her eyes darted around, shifting to and fro, wondering exactly what was so interesting. The hat gave a wheezy chuckle at her thoughts. "Lets see where to put you now - _loyal_ , but only when it seems to benefit yourself. Courage, spades of it, but perhaps, not when it counts. . . _ahhh_ , I see, a thirst for knowledge. Well, it better be _RAVENCLAW!_ "

Professor McGonagall pulled the hat off of her head and Petunia shot Marlene and Frank a smile before making her way to the cheering table. The fact that the hat had ultimately put her in the house that she wanted left a pleasant buzz beneath her skin. Sitting at the open end of the Ravenclaw table, she smiled at her new housemates surrounding her. The call of other names bringing her attention back to the sorting that was continuing, all eyes swivelling back as a new kid was put under the microscope.

Name after name was called and with each name that was read out, the line of first years grew shorter. To her amusement, Frank was sorted into Gryffindor, he didn't seem too brave just hours before when faced with crossing the lake. Marlene on the other hand, quickly joined Petunia at the Ravenclaw table. The two girls grinned at one another before the last names were called out and Professor McGonagall took her place at the Head Table.

An older man with a hint of a smile tugging at his lips then stood up. The quiet conversation that had picked up slowly dwindled as all eyes moved to him. He definitely had an odd sort of presence, Petunia thought, dressed in brightly colored robes with a giant pointy hat sat upon his head.

"Welcome! Welcome! I see a lot of new faces joining us for their first years as well as some, _more familiar ones_ , continuing their adventure with us," His arms were outstretched as if to welcome the entire hall into his embrace, _he did look a little odd though_. "I can only hope that this school is everything you could imagine. As usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, asks me to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is quite self-explanatory, and it out of bounds to _all_ students. His growing list of banned joke items from Gambol and Japes will be posted outside his office as per usual. With that being said, dig in!"

As if his words had literally summoned it, food of all sorts appeared before them, quiet murmurs of awe filled the air at the magic. Her nose wrinkled as Petunia took in some of the… odder dishes and recipes.

"This isn't what mum makes at home," she said, the distaste dripping from her words. If she was being honest, she was definitely wary of the _delicacies_ that were being offered to them for the Welcoming Feast. Getting a huff in response, she watched at Marlene, and the others at their table started loading down their plates.

"It's not going to hurt to try something new, you know," a voice from across the table said to get her attention. Her eyes shot up, a little confused as to why he was talking to her in the first place. The boy sitting across from her wasn't much to look at, not really, but he had a kind smile, the sort that her mother would have threatened to pinch his cheeks for.

She pressed her lips together tightly and reached forward, plucking something off of one of the center dishes before letting it drop onto her plate. She wasn't a snob when it came to eating, not really. She was just a bit, _well_ , picky; more so when it came to food. And _whatever_ it was that she'd just put on her plate, it didn't exactly look very appetizing. It looked down right foul if she was being honest with herself.

A snort beside her snapped made her pause her glaring at the food on her plate, knowing it could only be Marlene.

"She's a bit of a 'fraidy familiar, this one. You should have seen her when we were boarding the boats to cross the lake! I practically had to hold her hand," the blonde said around a mouthful of food. If it was anyone else, Petunia probably would have stuck her nose up at that statement, but she noted the fondness of the tone.

Petunia rolled her eyes, jabbing a sharp elbow into Marlene's ribs to try and get her attention before sticking her tongue out at the girl. She had no idea what a "fraidy familiar" was but, it sounded an awful lot like scaredy cat. "I wasn't scared! Now you're just over exaggerating." she exclaimed in her own defence.

"Was too," Was the _extremely_ mature response she got back, a glob of food falling out of her mouth alongside it.

"Well, that's very ladylike, _isn't it_?" Petunia drawled, though she sounded more like her mother. Usually whenever her mum said something like that, it was about the neighbours daughters who she thought looked like; ladies of the night', _whatever that meant_.

She huffed, jerking her head forward, utterly done with Marlene's antics for the time being. Instead, Petunia focused her attention on the boy sitting across from them. He seemed to think it was right funny their little squabble, probably thought it was dinner and a show or something.

"It's not going to eat itself." He practically sang, grinning as he raised his own fork with emphasis, taking a bite of his own food with an over exaggerated relish. _Show off_.

She shot him a dirty look before staring down at the mysterious meat, slowly trying to muster the courage to take a bite. Instead she simply grabbed a fork and poked it gently. She was being ridiculous, really, but she just couldn't imagine who would have thought heat something that looked so _terrible_ would be tasty.

I took her a minute or two but she plucked up the nerve and Petunia finally stabbed a small piece of meat onto her fork. Quickly shoving it between her lips before she could think better of it. The tastes that exploded on her tongue hinted at something she had tasted before, though she couldn't really place it. A triumphant scoff from beside her soured the taste.

" _See_. That wasn't so bad now was it?" The boy across from them weighed in.

Petunia didn't even bother to deign them with a response.

Instead, she rolled her eyes and continued with her meal. Marlene and the boy, who introduced himself as Lau, kept trying to goad her into their conversation but little did they know, she was the older sister to one very annoying little sister. After so many years with Lily? Nothing they could do would phase her.

* * *

Whilst Petunia was down at the Welcome Feast, her familiar had made herself quite at home in their dorm. She'd claimed a bed for both herself and her owner. Petunia easily scooping up the little cat before clambering onto the four-poster bed, the feline wiggling out of her arms to curl up near her feet.

It had been a busy _busy_ day and the yawn which almost cracked her jaw wasn't really a surprise to anyone. Being introduced to a whole new world took its toll on anyone. Especially an eleven year old girl.

Still, there was one thing that bugged her.

"Hey, Marly, I've a question," Petunia piped up, nudging Violet gently with her toe so she'd move over.

"Go for it," Marlene said as she plopped down on the end of Petunia's bed, narrowly avoiding sitting on her cat.

"What's a fraidy familiar?"

"It's just a saying," Marlene dismissed it, though she did look a little puzzled. "Everyone says it."

"No, they don't, McKinnon. Only _children_ say it," One of their roommates chipped in, rather snottily actually. Petunia decided quite easily she didn't like her.

Marlene simply rolled her eyes, shrugging the girl off.

"Is it kind of like being a scaredy cat?" Petunia asked, the two of them collectively ignoring their roommate.

There was a quiet pause.

"Why would a cat be scared?" Marlene asked incredulously, as if it was the craziest thing she'd heard of.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count: 1,512  
Story Word Count: 8,467**


End file.
